BackEC defers Karnataka bypolls till SC decides fate of 17 rebel MLAs
Move marks a breather for ruling BJP, which gets time to address internal issues over ticket distribution15 out of the total 17 vacant assembly seats in Karnataka were scheduled to go to polls on 21 Oct
PremiumThe Election Commission (EC) on Thursday deferred bypolls to 15 assembly seats in Karnataka until after the fate of 17 disqualified legislators is decided by the Supreme Court. The move came after the apex court adjourned the MLAs’ case to 22 October.
Deferring of the bypolls that were to have been held on 21 October is an unprecedented and crucial step for Karnataka’s fluid politics. It gives the rebels and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) some breathing space as now they will not have to go to the polls with legal wrangles hanging over their heads, according to analysts.
For BJP leader and chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa, analysts said, it also gives some time to try and address internal differences over giving tickets to the rebels and perceived lapses in governance.
The stability of the recently-formed government, the only BJP government in the south, hinged on the bypolls. It was necessitated after 15 rebels quit and toppled the previous Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) rule in July. After days of uncertainty, the then speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar not only accepted the resignations but went a step further and disqualified them, ruling they cannot return to contest the bypolls, which was then challenged by the rebels in the apex court.
On Thursday, an SC bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Krishna Murari said it would hear the complete arguments at length and deferred the case. “Then I will ask the Election Commission to defer it (by-polls) for some time," said senior counsel Rakesh Dwivedi, representing EC. The EC clarified that the polls will be eventually held within the stipulated period: six months from the time the seats fell vacant.
On Wednesday, the office of the current speaker, Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri of the BJP, told the top court that his predecessor was wrong and said the disqualified MLAs have a “democratic right" to contest polls. The EC also told the apex court on Wednesday that it’s not opposed to the MLAs contesting.
Meanwhile, back in Karnataka, the state unit of the BJP was also veering off course. Faced with dissent over giving tickets to the rebel MLAs, its core committee met on Wednesday without announcing the nomination of the rebels for the bypolls. For his part, Yediyurappa was also drawing criticism on governance issues in his two months in office, especially on the recent rehabilitation of flood victims in north Karnataka. That eight seats of the bypolls are being held in southern pockets where historically the JD(S) and Congress are stronger, also does not do any good for the party.
Although the Congress welcomed the EC decision, the JD(S) said it showed the influence of the Centre-ruling BJP. “This is demolition of democracy. First time this development is taking place. Shameful on part of the concerned authorities," JD(S) leader and former chief minister H. D. Kumaraswamy said.
“It is indeed a temporary victory for the BJP," said analyst Sandeep Shastri. “But they have only got a chance to postponing their problems rather than solving them."
The BJP government now has 104 MLAs plus an independent offering outside support. With the results to the 15 bypolls, the total house strength will be 223. So, the BJP needs to win at least seven seats in the bypolls to have a majority of one. Or six, if the mercy of H. Nagesh, the independent who is known to switch parties, continues.
japnam.b@livemint.com
Prathma Sharma and Sharan Poovanna contributed to this story.
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